Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season! 

Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes storm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel to "Back in Black" for their season-opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5. 

Each day has primarily featured an article profiling a member of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on the jersey number they wear that happens to fall on the respective day of the countdown. 

READ MORE: 79 Days Until Iowa Football: Gene Riordan

Today marks 78 days until kickoff, so it's time to take a look at No. 78 - offensive lineman Gene Riordan. 
Get to know him here: 

Hometown: Hinsdale, Illinois 

High School: Hinsdale Central High School 

Year: Freshman 

Height: 6-foot-5 

Weight: 280 pounds 

Other notable players to wear No. 78: A recognizable name to wear No. 78 in recent years is former offensive lineman Mason Richman. After redshirting in 2020, Richman started nearly every game for the remainder of his career and slowly became one of the cornerstone pieces of Iowa's offensive line emergence under offensive line coach George Barnett. The Hawkeyes tallied 197.2 rushing yards per game during Richman's senior season in 2024, Iowa's best mark since 2002. 

Per 247Sports, Riordan is one of seven four-star prospects in Iowa's impressive Class of 2026 recruiting class that ranks No. 26 in the entire nation. It's hard to forecast Riordan playing a major role for the Hawkeyes this season, but with Carson Nielson, Hudson Parliament, Owen Linder, and Collin Whitters in this class as well, it appears Barnett has a solid plan in place to maintain Iowa's offensive line success in the future. 

There were a lot of schools vying for Riordan's services, including notable programs Auburn, Oklahoma, Penn State, and in-state rival Iowa State, but the Chicagoland native decided to pick one of his closest destinations - Iowa - on April 21, 2025. 

It's possible Riordan could opt to take a redshirt year in 2026, but as it stands right now, he's got four years of college football ahead of him. Keep an eye out for him down the road. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]